Download - The Mindfulness Bell

More documents

Recommendations

Info

dying into LIFE The Guest This being human is a guest house —Rumi I threw open wide the door and every window Hung out a sign: “Guest House. All Are Welcome” And they came in unbroken procession, Tapping my shoulder, hoping for a conversation Or at least a glance, a nod of recognition. I did not speak, though well acquainted with them all. I watched the door, waiting for the guest of honour I sat and waited, waited only for you. You arrive as one coming home, familiar with this place No fanfare, no red carpet, you simply take a seat Across the table from the place where I have waited. And I look, over the flowers I gathered for you And see myself, looking at the flowers I gathered for me. I build another door that all the guests might come and freely go But I remain, in this house, the guest of honour. — India Taylor 40 Winter/Spring 2009 Looking Deeply into the Nature of Reality photo by Tasha Chuang
sangha NEWS Sangha News all photos courtesy of monastic sangha Buddhist Institute Opens in Germany The European Institute of Applied Buddhism was opened in September 2008 in Waldbröl, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Thay’s first visit to the EIAB after it had been acquired by the Unified Buddhist Church was during the second week of September 2008. During this visit some monks and nuns came to stay in the building. There was no heat or hot water, and since the building had been uninhabited for two years, there was a great deal of cleaning to be done. The Mayor of Waldbröl kindly offered the services of the town to clear up the grounds before an important press conference presided over by Thay. visit was to begin the process of healing that the monastic residents of the Institute have been doing their best to continue ever since. Interestingly enough the house was called House of Transformation when it was a military academy and we are happy to keep that name. Our daily practice is to take every step in mindfulness and offer up the energy to heal the suffering that has happened here. The stairs are made of marble as is the main corridor of the ground floor. It seems strange for monks and nuns to be living in such luxurious surroundings but we know that the laying of these marble floors cost much sweat and hardship for many people and our steps respond with compassion to this. Thay visited us again in November and wrote a letter to be read to those who suffered here. This letter is read aloud every day before the sitting meditation and during the offering ceremony to the wandering spirits. [See sidebar page 42.] This offering ceremony is performed daily by the monks and nuns in residence. Its purpose is to give rise to compassion that is able to heal the legacy of suffering in this building that has still not been wholly transformed. Please be assured that we are very happy to play a part in doing this work of transformation and are grateful to have this privilege. One day when we were gathered to sing before walking meditation in the grounds of the Institute Thay told us that we do not need to avoid hardship and difficulties. These things can be causes and conditions for us to solidify our practice of mindfulness, understanding, and compassion. They give us the motivation to take refuge in each other and do what Martin Luther King most wanted, build the Beloved Community. In the town of Waldbröl we have the support of the Mayor and his deputy. We also have the support of the Catholic priest and The building was constructed in 1897. It was founded by a local philanthropist, a pastor and doctor from Cologne, Dr. Hollenberg, and three other doctors, for the treatment of the mentally ill whose families were too poor to pay for their treatment. Dr. Hollenberg was responsible for other philanthropic works in the town of Waldbröl and is remembered on the ancestral altar in the Institute. On 14 November 1938, 700 people were removed from Waldbröl, including some from this hospital; they were taken to unknown locations where their fate was uncertain. Many were put to death by injection or sterilized by the Nazi regime. The hospital was turned into one of Hitler’s recreational centres. Since the fall of the Nazi regime the building has been a hospital and then a NATO military academy. The legacy of this building is one of philanthropy and compassion as well as ignorance and suffering. House of Transformation The large building consists of 400 rooms on four floors. In September Thay visited each of these rooms and sprinkled each with consecrated water. He was accompanied by a number of monks and nuns who chanted the name of Avalokiteshvara. It took four hours to complete this ceremony. The aim of this the Mindfulness Bell 41
Page 1: Winter/Spring 2009 A Publication of
Page 4 and 5: Dear Thay, dear Sangha, A Journal o
Page 6 and 7: dharma TALK Thich Nhat Hanh in Indi
Page 8 and 9: dharma TALK Someone looking at you
Page 10 and 11: dharma TALK who are helping. What i
Page 12 and 13: may 2008 VIETNAM photos courtesy of
Page 14 and 15: may 2008 VIETNAM and successes duri
Page 16 and 17: may 2008 VIETNAM This was a promise
Page 18 and 19: may 2008 VIETNAM The mind can go in
Page 20 and 21: talks from VESAK to embody mindfuln
Page 22 and 23: talks from VESAK These few examples
Page 24 and 25: talks from VESAK Saving Indra’s N
Page 26 and 27: talks from VESAK factories gained o
Page 28 and 29: talks from VESAK assassination, ter
Page 30 and 31: dying into LIFE Halong Bay, Vietnam
Page 32 and 33: dying into LIFE finish hers, she of
Page 34 and 35: dying into LIFE We need to learn to
Page 36 and 37: dying into LIFE Resurrection in the
Page 38 and 39: dying into LIFE Racism is a collect
Page 40 and 41: dying into LIFE suffering is being
Page 44 and 45: sangha NEWS Protestant pastor, who
Page 46 and 47: sangha NEWS described, among other
Page 48 and 49: ook REVIEWS and Eve Merriam are amo
Page 51: NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID P

Download - The Mindfulness Bell

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?